Sweets
by three-golden-mockingjays
Summary: "Don't get reaped," she says just before he exits. "I won't if you won't, Town Girl." A Haysilee story, started off as a one shot, but i decided to continue it in a kind of series of little moments between the two. K for the moment but will probably change once they get into the games, or maybe even before. Read and review maybe?
1. Chapter 1

Sweets - A Haysilee One-shot

He counts the money that he has saved up, and decides that he can go without the things he might have spent it on. He can go without a new blanket, the threadbare rag he uses has fallen apart quite yet; one more winter can't cause unfixable damage, can it? He can go without new boots, his work in the mines isn't hampered so much by their that his pay is falling. He can go without dinner a few nights, because the smile on her little face would be worth it. The walk to the town is long, and on his bare, wizened feet; feels even longer. But when he reaches the candy store, he knows it is worth the long walk, worth the autumn wind howling around his ears, as if threatening to break inside him and freeze him to the core. The walls are lined with sweets of all shapes, colours and sizes, Haymitch suddenly understands why his little sister always wants to go visit to look at this one shop, and he regrets not letting her.

"Can I help you?" a polite girl with straight blonde hair and sparkly blue eyes asks him over the counter. Damn, he thinks, this is the Donner's shop. Haymitch doesn't like townies, not at all, but this girl, this Maysilee Donner, he hates her more than he is able to understand himself. And she doesn't know it. This girl, one year younger than him, saved the life of his little sister once, when he couldn't do it himself. A knock on the door, a trembling pale hand reaching through the gap between door and wall, quick footsteps running away, eager not to be seen, but not fast enough. A flash of blonde hair, a glimpse of wild blue eyes, cheeks flushed with cold. Pink lips forming an apology, like she knew he would never be able to live with the fact that he offered his sister all he could: love and all the protection in the world that money cannot buy; yet she was the one to save her life that winter's day, just because she was rich and he wasn't. "I'm getting something for my sister," Haymitch says gruffly, avoiding those captivating eyes. Maysilee nods, and Haymitch is certain that she too, is remembering that day.

Haymitch carefully selects a pink lollipop, one chocolate drop and a bright blue lolly. The same colour as Maysilee's eyes. He notices this, and puts it back, replacing it with a red one, "How much would these be?" She counts them up, and he learns he still has a fair bit to spend. One more chocolate drop, one small strap of liquorice, "How much now?" A green lolly, back on the scales. Maysilee doesn't seem to mind as Haymitch works his way gradually up to the amount of money in his hand. He doesn't want to overspend, to have to face the indignity, the embarrassment, the shame, of having to put something back, because he simply couldn't afford another lolly for his little sister. He slaps them on the counter for the final time, knowing full well that this is the best he can get his little sister, the light of his day.

"Is it your sister's birthday?" Maysilee asks as she searches for a bag. "No," Haymitch's face darkens, "It's her first reaping day on Friday, I'm going to give them to her then. Help her get through the day, it being the Quell this year," he stars at her with anger dancing in his grey eyes. She stares back steadily, "It's not my fault it's the way it is Haymitch. I hate it as much as anyone else that they tempt you with food to make you enter your names more times. I hate watching the Seam kids getting slaughtered every year, just as much as everyone else." "You're crazy, merchant girl." Maysilee tosses her head, "I have a name, thank you!" Haymitch stares at her intently. All his friends tease Haymitch, saying Maysilee was sweet on him, that a merchant girl had a crush on him. Haymitch hasn't admitted to anyone that maybe… just maybe… if she hadn't saved his sister, maybe she could be the one… No. That wasn't right. A merchant girl and a Seam boy? Who'd ever heard of that? "See you at the reaping, Maysilee." "Don't get reaped," she says just before he exits. "I won't if you won't, town girl."

**There you go, my first fanfic! i hope you liked it - please review to tell me anything, constructive criticism is ver ymuch appreciated? should i add on more chapters? i do love this couple! - L**


	2. Chapter 2

"I don't hate you, you know," the words slip out of his mouth, and Maysilee jumps. She thought she was the only one still awake. She turns off the television, the Hunger Games re-runs are scaring her more than they are preparing her.

"That's nice to know," she answers, trying to keep her composure, when her insides are jumping about like crickets.

"Thank you," he says in an even softer tone and she turns around properly to look at him in surprise, her mouth forming a perfect 'o.' "You saved my sister's life," his usual smirk returns now that Maysilee begins to appear uncomfortable, and he realises that she was only faking at being calm, "I suppose I might as well thank you before one of us dies."

"I suppose you'd better," she agrees, "It only took you three years."

"I shouldn't have hated you," he says sincerely, tactfully ignoring her sarcasm, and sitting down on the couch beside her instead.

"But you did," she scowls, crossing her arms in indignation.

"I thought you would forgive me more easily, Town Girl."

"Why?" she hisses, "Because I am a soft, sweet, merchant's daughter? A goody-goody who couldn't fend for herself if her life depended on it?"

"No," he says honestly, "Because you're a good person," he says, forgetting to act the tough guy, "You gave my sister expensive medicine when she had pneumonia, and I've seen you every day at school for the past ten years. You're not like the rest of the townies, and you… well, why would you give my sister that medicine if you weren't nice?" There is an awkward silence, but Maysilee builds up the courage to break it, and says the words she has been going over again and again in her head.

"I don't know why this is so important to me Haymitch, but I've figured that my odds aren't great. I need to tell you something before one of us dies. I just need to find the words…" she trails off, and bites her lip. Something compels Haymitch to speak up at that moment, and he identifies the words he speaks as the truth he has been trying to deny to himself.

"I care about you Maysilee, for whatever reason, and you care about me, I can see that. One of two things can happen now. We are about to go into an arena to fight to the death. We can do this, if only for a little while. Or we can let all this go and do our very best to make it home to our families. I think… that I've loved you a long time Maysilee, but I've never acknowledged that until now."

Maysilee's face drains of colour, and the tears begin to fall, "Why does this happen Haymitch? What have we done to deserve this?" He holds her in his arms, and he has no soothing words to comfort her. The two youths, drawn together by tragic circumstances and an underlying yet powerful love, know they never have any chance of a happy ending. They are star-crossed: fated for despair, fated for death.

"I always thought love would be… sweeter," Maysilee says in a shaky voice, "I didn't know it could hurt this much. I thought it would make  
everything okay."

"Life's not a fairy tale sweetheart," Haymitch gives her hand a squeeze, and looks into those blue eyes. He should have bought the blue candy after all, he thinks, "But I'd make it sweeter if I could."

**Well there you go. I'm pretty sure that one sucked, it was a lot shorter than my previous one too. I wanted to continue because of the reviews, but then i realised i actually had no idea what to write about. i wrote this chapter about twenty times, and i'm still not happy with it, but there you go anyway. also, i've been advised to get a beta by a reviewer. i'm new here and i have no idea how this is meant to work, all the information is just how to BECOME a beta, so i don't know how to get one. an explanation would be very much appreciated, as would any constructive criticism or ideas for my next chapter. thank you for reading! - L**


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